Physician Assistants

Also called : Cardiology Physician Assistant, Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C), Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant (Emergency Medicine PA), Family Practice Physician Assistant, Orthopaedic Physician Assist

What they do

Provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Conduct complete physicals, provide treatment, and counsel patients. May, in some cases, prescribe medication. Must graduate from an accredited educational program for physician assistants.

On the job, one would

Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.

Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.

Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.

Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.

KNOWLEDGE

Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Biology
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Psychology
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

SKILLS

Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.

ABILITIES

Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

PERSONALITY

People interested in this work, will do well at jobs that need;

Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.

Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

Analytical Thinking
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Achievement/Effort
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Related Occupations

Clinical Nurse Specialists

Nurse Practitioners

Nurse Anesthetists

TECHNOLOGY

Internet browser software

Medical software

Office suite software

Spreadsheet software

Storage media loading software

Video conferencing software

Word processing software

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Preparation
Extensive Preparation Needed
Education
Graduate Degree or higher.
Experience
Extensive skills, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations.
Jobtraining
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.